St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-09


the key: II see good many references to
the Ellsworths and their excellence as tele-
graphers,'' he said. Away back in 1S57,just
after leaving McKendrie college, I became a
clerk in a railroad Office where Henry Ellis
worth. brother of George was agent, and
i learned to 'pound the BRASS" as the boys
say, from him. | afterwards succeeded him as
railroad aud express agent, and run the tele-
graph Office and did so up to the time I
went into the army. The Ellsworth family
were born telegraphers. There were FIVE of
the boys; they commenced life at Hamilton,
Canada. Henry was he eldest l think Dick
came next, then William, then George and
then wesley. Henry was a timer by trade,
but took to telegraphing after the other boys
had made success of it. 1 knew them all
and had visited their home in Hamilton. If 1
remember rightly, William was a superin-
tendent OF division on the Great Western
road, with headquarters at Toronto. Dick
went out on the Union Pacific and was super
intendent of division west of Omaha, with
headquarters at Salt Lake City, and he died
out there, probably in 80 or 81. Wesley and
George were two of the most noted and &C
curate operators Of their day. The last l
heard of Wesley he was train dispatcher on
the Union Pacific at Omaha. George was at
Danville, Ky. when the war broke out,
and went with John Morgan. I was in an
office once, down in NJ lssssippi about fifteen
minutes after George left. l recognized his
handwriting on piece of paper near the
telegraph key. have not seen him since
the war, but used to work with him when he
had sit in the general Offices of the West
ern Union at st. Louis, and ! remember his
call was "a" This was in the days before
repeaters, and I remember George could re-
ceive message from the 20. s. NJ" wire and
send it over the 1T. H. wire without copy
ing; that is, he would receive it by ear and
send it by hand without the use OF paper.
this was regar ded as quite a feat. He was a
bright, handsome fellow, and everybody had
warm spot in their heart for George
Henry Ellsworth had couple of brothers-ln-
law by the names OF Dan and Henry Martin.
The last heard Of them they were on the
Missouri Pacifc-good operators.
In response to question, the major said !:
''Oh, yes, found my knowledge of telegraphy
often came in good play during the war. Tel
egraph wires and instruments were plenty,
but operators were sometimes hard to find.
L remember once we were on a raid and
struck the town of Glendive, Miss, found the
telegraph Office open and everything ready for
business. All it needed was an operator. l
got down to the table and had quite talk
with Bragg, the operator at Tuscumbia, Ala,
and in couple of hours patched up the wire
on the other side and opened up communica-
tions with Gen. Dodge's headqua rters at Cor
NTH. The information sent enabled him to
mass his forces with such rapidity as to COM
pletely demoralize Wheelers cavalry, which
was attempting a raid on the Union lines.
Gen. Jesse Phillips, now judge in Central
Illinois, commanded brigade of mounted
infantry for Gen. Dodge. VIII ich Travelled the
fastest ever known, except the telegraphic
messages sent. Gen. Phillips was one of the
most gallant and effective officers Illinois
produced. might tell you more but guess
that's enough